It's My Duty to Protect
by Link015
Summary: [One-shot] Umm...I can't think of a summary. But I'll come up with one. Erk mourns the death of his love.


Chris: Yeah, I'm feeling depressed today, even though Tales of Symphonia is coming out tomorrow. Which is going to be the best RPG coming out in Gamecube. Buy it. It's really good. But anyway, I decided to write an angsty-type fic. Don't sue me if I can't write this. Never wrote angst before anyway. So....Yeah.  
  
Farina: Chris doesn't own Fire Emblem or Tales of Symphonia, although he'll soon own both of the games.

* * *

The members of Eliwood's army gathered together on one dreary day. Clouds hung low in the sky, dark and gray, as if they were brooding. The sun was covered by the clouds and while it tried to shine through, the only light that pierced the curtain of clouds seemed to only enhance the gloomy nature of this day. They were still fighting the armies of Nergal, but no one felt like fighting today. Eliwood finally declared that they would just take the day off to mourn. The reason no one felt like fighting was because on of their members had died the day before. Everyone liked her. Some mourned her because she was a dear friend to them. Some mourned because she was a sister, a branch of their family tree that had broken off before it could bloom. And one person mourned because he was in love.  
  
They gathered around a neat grave that held the woman who had died. Everyone looked solemnly at the marker on the grave. It read, "Here rests a good friend, a valiant warrior, and a loving sister. Florina."  
  
Several people spoke about her, telling the others times when she would laugh and have fun. One of them was Lyn. She couldn't help but cry as she remembered the many happy memories together. She spoke of their friendship and comradery.  
  
"F-Florina and I were great friends. I still remember the first time we met. It was before this whole journey had started...Before I quested to get to Caelin. It was when the Lorca tribe was happy. One day, I was out hunting when I heard a shrill scream from the north. She was practicing flight but she accidentally fell off her pegasus. Luckily, she was flying low and managed to land in a leafy tree. I quickly ran to the source of the sound and saw her dangling from the tree. The sight was so funny that I couldn't stop laughing." Her voice broke at this point but she bravely continued on. "Anyway, that's how we met. I helped her out of the tree and that incident started our friendship. She lived with the Lorca tribe for a time while she continued to train. During those times, our friendship grew and soon we were the best of friends. However, all good things must come to an end and soon she had to travel back to Ilia. We promised to write to each other and we stayed in touch." Tears were streaming heedlessly down her face as she said her speech. She moved to the side and immediately slumped to the ground, sobbing incessantly. Sain kneeled next to her and held her, tears also streaming down his face.  
  
The next one to speak was her sister, Fiora. She spoke mainly of Florina's goals and hopes. "Florina was a great person. She had always aspired to be a Pegasus Knight. Ever since we were little, she would creep out of her bed to watch the Pegasi fly around in the sky. Her first words were 'Pegasus Knight'. I believe that her fascination with the order of Pegasus Knights started with us. We would read stories to her of the amazing exploits of the Pegasus Knights as they traveled the world. And soon enough, she did become a Pegasus Knight. She was so happy that day. I still could remember her joy when she was accepted in our ranks. She was a sterling soldier. She was extremely skilled with a lance and was able to fly her pegasus with skill. However, her only one fault would be her fear of men. However, she was strong and was soon able to overcome that fear. She will always be in our memories and she has gone to a better place....Where there is no death or fighting, but endless skies where she can fly forever." She stepped back, brushing her eyes. She turned to Eliwood and sobbed in his arms. He stroked her hair and let her cry on his shoulder.  
  
The last person to speak was her other sister, Farina. Her main focus was the fun-loving side of Florina. The side that not many people saw, but always treasured. "Florina was an active and fun-loving person. Yes, like my sister said, she had always aspired to be a Pegasus Knight. However, sometimes she would act decidedly un-Pegasus Knight like. But she was always a happy person. She would laugh at any good joke, and would sometimes crack a joke of her own. But the times when her fun-loving side would rule was when she attended a festival. Then, amidst all of the gaiety and fun, she would escape from her strict military life and let loose for once. I can still remember the time when she sang the Ilian Marching Song while drinking some wine. Yeah...That was a memory that I'll always treasure. Florina would be at her best when she was at a party. Then, and only then, would she let the armor of her station fall apart and release herself the strict rules and order. Yes, Florina was quite a person. And we all loved her for that." She moved out of the way, smiling sadly at the memory of her sister. Kent moved up next to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. Farina smiled and gripped his hand with her own, both sharing the grief and despair.  
  
With those speeches, everyone left to their own tents and soon the area was empty. Except for one last person, staring at the grave. His dark purple hair fluttered in the wind as tears crept into his eyes. His red cloak swept around his body and the tome he carried in his hand grew wet as tears fell from his eyes onto the tome. He was in love with Florina. Not many people noticed, but he and Florina were a couple. But he had failed. He had promised to protect her with all of his might, but he had failed. She had died in his arms. He had cursed himself. He blamed himself for her death. 'Why couldn't I have been faster? Why didn't I spot the wyvern rider earlier? Why couldn't I save her? Why?!' His despair overwhelmed his body and soon he moved as in a trance. For the rest of that fateful day when Florina had died, he had stayed in his tent, saying nothing, doing nothing. Everyone tried to get him to eat. Serra tried to drag him to the table. Priscilla brought food to his tent. Pent had tried to use magic to cure his despair. But Erk wouldn't eat. He wanted to die. He wanted to join Florina in the afterlife, where they could journey together. However, no one wanted this. Everyone had their own tricks to get him to do something. Finally, he responded to outside stimulus and started to eat. He had stopped trying to die. The outside world wouldn't let him.  
  
In front of Florina's grave, the scene of her death flashed through his eyes. He tried to banish them, but they kept appearing. After a while, he gave in and watched that battle that had cost Florina her life.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
They were in trouble. An unexpected arrival of reinforcements had driven back Eliwood's army into a retreat. Unfortunately, the enemy Morphs wouldn't give up. They pursued Eliwood's army until the retreat had degenerated into a rout. To protect the others while they ran off from the battlefield, some stayed behind to act as a last bastion of defense. Hopefully, the others would spot them and rally to their cause. Florina, Erk, Bartre, Serra, Canas, Raven, and Lucius suddenly turned around and faced the opposing army. With their last ditch attack against the Morph army, their only hope was the chance that the enemy would retreat. Serra and Lucius attacked with their Light Magic, shards of light and heat burst in the bodies of the Morphs. Canas's Elder Magic, calling on the darker arts of light, made bodies dissolve into dust and made their skin and bones wither. Bartre, with his axe, chopped left and right, his great strength felling Morphs left and right. Raven's sword flashed as it flew left and right, parrying strikes and felling others. Erk's Anima Magic, the magic of nature, made enemies burst into flame as thunder and fire crashed from the sky. And finally, Florina, with her pegasus, flew left and right, her lance striking down every enemy that appeared.  
  
However, they all soon got separated. Florina, moving to the west was soon separated from the rest of the group. Raven, Lucius, and Serra were up in the north, trying to break the main surge of forces. Canas, Bartre, and Erk were in the south, defeating enemies who dared to take on the main force of their group. Erk had noticed that Florina had separated from the rest of the group and was out of his sight. He immediately left for the west, trying to find her. Blind to everyone, though, a force of wyvern riders had appeared from the east, where no one was defending. They had spotted the lone Falcoknight and anticipated an easy kill. Swiftly, they flew to Florina's unprotected back. Erk saw them fly over his head and head for Florina. His eyes widened in terror and he chased the riders, occasionally casting a Fire spell at lagging troops. He was not fast enough, and soon realized that he would not reach Florina before the wyverns would. "FLORINA! WATCH OUT!" He screamed at the top of his lungs, trying to warn her of the impending danger. She turned around in alarm and her eyes widened as she spotted the wyvern riders heading for her. She belatedly realized that she had drifted too far from the main group and was separated from her friends. Her hand gripped her lance and she headed for the riders, hoping to surprise them in a charge. Her plan worked, for a while. The wyverns scattered at this furious attack, three of their number falling immediately. However, the maneuver had dragged her into the center of the wyvern group and she was in big trouble.  
  
Erk spotted a wyvern planning to stab her in the back. Hoping in all of his heart that he would be fast enough, his hands fumbled for the Fire tome. Reciting the words quickly, he launched a fireball at the wyvern rider. His last, valiant act was a second too late. Just before the fireball splashed against the wyvern, searing its flesh and burning its bones, its rider managed to stab Florina in the back with her lance. She gasped in pain and slumped over her pegasus, blood streaming from the gaping wound in her back. Her pegasus noticed this and flew to the ground swiftly, hoping that Florina wouldn't fall off. Erk screamed in rage and ran to the spot where Florina was falling. His mind couldn't process any more information. There was only rage at the death of Florina. The adrenaline in his body fueled his rage as he cast Fire spell after Fire spell, incinerating any enemy near him. Florina's pegasus alighted on the ground and Florina tumbled off, the lance's shaft breaking as it hit the ground. Blood pooled around her as she breathed fitfully, almost dead. Erk reached her body and cradled her head, hoping to find some spark of life left in her body. Florina squinted at Erk, her vision growing hazy, and she smiled.  
  
"T-Thank...you...Erk...I'm sorry....I'm always....such...a...pain...But thank...you...for...prot...ecting...me...till...the end."  
  
"No! You can't die yet! We still have time! We still have a future!" Erk fumbled for the Recover staff hidden in his cape. Florina's hand held onto his and stopped him from getting it.  
  
"No...Don't...It's...too...late...My time...has...ended...But yours...must...go on....Good...bye..." Her eyes closed and her hand slumped to the ground. Erk shook his head in denial and began casting the Recover spell. However, he noticed no change and the staff slipped out of his nerveless hands. He slumped over Florina, holding her body and rocking it back and forth in an attempt to bring some life back. Tears flowed from his eyes as he desperately tried to bring her back. Meanwhile, the last minute attack on the enemies had ended in success. Eliwood's army had regrouped and retaliated. They rushed and attacked the Morphs and soon they passed Erk and Florina. Caught in the fury of battle, they passed Erk as he wept over Florina's dead body.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------  
  
Now, as he stood in front of her grave, he came to an important decision. He would not die. He would live, live to protect others. Try to help them live the life that he might have had. At least, that way, he would fulfill his duty to protect. He sighed, placed his Fire tome over Florina's grave as a last gift to his love, and went to his tent.

* * *

Chris: Okay. I'm done. And it's late. So yeah. R & R. This is my first angst fic so tell me if I did anything wrong. 


End file.
